The Kremlin condemned Britain's plans to transfer data on the SCALP missiles to Kiev.
The UK will allow MBDA to transfer classified data on the British components of the SCALP cruise missile to Ukraine so that Kiev can arrange its local assembly, the British government announced ahead of the first foreign visit of its new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Kiev on August 24. The Kremlin said that Britain "regularly adds oil to the fire," and noted that the Russian military is taking measures to destroy production sites for military equipment in Ukraine. In response, Burnham stated that the question was who "lit the fire."
The UK will hand over to Ukraine the secret data necessary for the production of long-range SCALP missiles. This was announced by the British government on the eve of the visit of its Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Kiev on August 24.
In a published statement, Downing Street said that the government had agreed for the MBDA defense company to disclose classified information about the British components of the long-range SCALP missile, as Ukraine and France plan to organize local assembly lines on Ukrainian territory.
The Kremlin's reaction
Russian Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on Downing Street's statement and noted that these plans indicate that Britain is involved in the conflict on the side of Ukraine.
"Britain is participating in this war on the side of the Kiev regime. Britain methodically and regularly adds fuel to the fire. He is plotting in order to prevent at least some development of the peaceful settlement process. This is exactly what the UK is doing," the spokesman said, also commenting on Burnham's visit to Kiev.
The Kremlin spokesman added that the Russian military is working to identify the production sites of such missiles.
"Our Armed Forces are carrying out appropriate work, receiving appropriate data to find out the production sites of such missiles, the production sites of other military equipment, and are taking measures to destroy these sites," Peskov said.
During a visit to Kiev, journalists asked Burnham to comment on Peskov's statement.
"Who started the fire? That's the question, isn't it?" The Guardian quoted him as saying.
The trip to Ukraine was Burnham's first foreign visit after assuming the post of Prime Minister.
In Kiev, the head of the British government met with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky and took part in events on the occasion of the country's Independence Day. Burnham said that under his government, the UK would maintain its previous course and continue to play an active role in supporting Kiev.
He will also take part in the first meeting of the Coalition of the Willing as chairman. At the meeting, the participants will discuss further support for Ukraine.
What kind of rocket is this?
The SCALP is a French version of the British Storm Shadow cruise missile, and is manufactured by the European consortium MBDA (Matra BAE Dynamics Alenia). Both developments are based on joint French-British technologies and have similar characteristics.
The mass of the rocket is about 1.3 tons, and the flight range is from 250 to 560 km, depending on the modification and export restrictions.
The Microturbo TRI 60-30 turbojet engine allows the rocket to reach speeds of about 0.8–0.9 Mach, that is, up to about 1000-1050 km/h.
The SCALP is equipped with a BROACH tandem warhead weighing about 450 kg, and is designed to destroy fortified and buried objects, including concrete structures and bunkers.
It is used to strike command posts, communications centers, ammunition depots, ships at anchorages and important infrastructure facilities: bridge crossings, railway junctions.
Rockets for Ukraine
The UK was the first to supply Ukraine with long-range strike weapons in 2023, sending Kiev Storm Shadow missiles, which are also manufactured by MBDA Missile Systems. Ben Wallace, then head of the British Ministry of Defense, said that the range of these missiles was up to 300 km.
Since then, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have attacked targets on the territory of the Russian Federation, including civilian facilities, several times. In May, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian air defense systems had intercepted three such missiles.
In mid-July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, announced that Paris would grant Kiev licenses for the production of long-range SCALP cruise missiles and AASM Hammer guided aerial bombs.
"The result of our negotiations with Emmanuel and the work of our teams was an important agreement between Ukraine and France," he said on Telegram.
In addition, France, together with Italy, must transfer technology to Ukraine for the production of Aster 30 anti-aircraft missiles.
At the same time, Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that the British Ministry of Defense had signed contracts with several companies to develop a new tactical land—based ballistic missile for Ukraine, the first such system in the country in more than half a century.
It is planned to complete the development by the end of 2027, and the first tests should begin within the next 12 months. Initially, the project provided for a range of over 600 km, but later the requirements were adjusted: the figure was reduced to 500 km, and the mass of the warhead was reduced from 300 to 200 kg.
Alexander Karpov
